Balwant Singh (volleyball)

Balwant Singh (1945 – 14 November 2010), popularly known as Ballu,[1] was an Indian volleyball player, considered a star of the India men's national volleyball team.[2] His son Narender is a professional volleyball player who plays for the Indian volleyball Team. Kaul village panchayat also organised Balwant Singh Memorial tournament after his death in the village.

Biography
Balwant Singh Ballu in a photo

Balwant Singh was born in 1945 in the Kaul village of Haryana state's Kaithal district.[3]

Sporting career

Singh was a tall, ungainly youth. His height was 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) with correspondingly big hands and feet. He was from a modest background and joined the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jalandhar, Punjab, which had a reputation for producing quality volleyball players at the time.[4]

In the mid-1960s and into the 1970s, he was responsible for helping Punjab achieve national success,[5] and he was awarded the country's top sporting honor, the Arjuna Award,[6] in volleyball in 1972 for his excellent sportsmanship and contribution to the national team. Singh played for India in Asian Games of 1970, 1974, and 1978.[6] He also played test matches for India in 1970, 1978 and 1980.

The first National Volleyball Championship in which Singh took part was that of 1965, and he continued to play in the Nationals till 1988. Between 1968 and 1981, Punjab won National Championships 10 times largely due to the performance of Singh. He participated in the All India Police Games from 1966 to 1990 representing Punjab Police and BSF.

Death and legacy

Singh ran a volleyball academy in Kaul, and a stadium was named after him. He died in November 2010.[6]

References
  1. "Volleyball shows the way". Sportstar. 27 September – 3 October 2003. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  2. Keerthivasan, K. (15 December 2010). "Narender Singh does the star turn for Haryana". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. "Arjuna awardee Balwant Singh cremated". The Tribune. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. Singh, Prabhjot (18 November 2001). "Punjab: The spirit of sport". The Tribune. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  5. Keerthivasan, K. (17 December 2010). "Punjab through to quarterfinals". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  6. "Sagwal passes away". The Hindu. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
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